NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 23, 28 January 1933, Page 11

NATURE NOTES

ON THE MAlff TRUNK

LINE

BIRDS AROUND i/lANGAW£KA:

(By E. H. D. Stidolph,-meinbor of Eoyal Australasian Ornithologist*' Uniou^, Native birds are fairly well represented in the Hangaweka district,where the remnants of bush remaining on the precipitous banks of the Bangitikei River, in addition to a number of scenic reserves, provide them with.' sufficient, cover and food.to enable them to enjoy the pleasures of life. Obviously, a vast change has taken place in the bird-life of the district, in common, with other settled areas, but several interesting species remain to delight the bird-lover, although, others even more interesting have passed away with the'" destruction of the bush.. Notable among the native birds inhabiting the bush on the banks of the river are the bell-bird and whitehead, two species that were regarded, thirty or forty years ago, as being almost extinct or, whose doom was a foregone conclusion^ Happily, these beautiful birds are now; widespread and common in certain districts, wherever there is sufficient bush, even though it only be somewhat miserable remnants of the former forest wealth of this country. The bell-bird, for instance, is to be found in Bruco Park, on the main road from. Marton, to Taihape, an isolated piece of forest, far removed from any extensive bush area. Other' native birds inhabiting Bruce Park include the tomtit, the tui, tho grey warbler, and the shining cuckoo. The whitehead'around Mangaweka, in addition -to frequenting the native vegetation, is also to be seen in introduced pines and orchards where* these border on the bush remnants.! Similarly, the tomtit also frequents these alien trees, and it will be interesting to observe if ultimately these T>irds, and others, will inhabit gardens and plantations independent of the native forest which formed.their home for countless centuries. Two incidents connected with the r evasion of domestic duties by the shining cuckoo weife observed in the Manga* weka district. The motor camp at Mangaweka is located on the banks of the Bangitikei Eiver, and there is a very beautiful piece of bush, surround-* ing the area. In a manuka growing not far from, the river water, at thai time of the writer's visit to the locals ity, a silver-eye had its little cradle of a nest, daintily suspended, as is customary, from twigs of the shrub, about sis feet from, the ground. The bird* were sitting on three beautiful bliie-i green eggs, which could be seen by hold* ing a mirror above the nest. Appar* ently both the male and female silver* eye take turns at sitting on. the eggsy as the parent birds were seen to change' places. A shining cuckoo was also frequenting the locality, its' unmistakable notes being heard on several occasions. On the second day spent at tie canvp great consternation was heard in the vicinity of the silver-eye's nest, and one of the parent birds was seen, to the accompaniment of anxious, appealing notes, to chase away a bird, which' appeared to be a cuckoo. The cuckoo,although somewhat larger than the silver-eye, did not offer resistance, but took full flight, with the smaller' bird a few feet behind it. An inspection of the nest, hswever, showed ; the three eggs unharmed, and the probability is that the cuckoo approached too close to the nest, an action which was resented by the sitting bird. There are no re* cords of a cuckoo's egg being found in: the nest of a silver-eye in New Zealand. The other incident connected with this cuckoo's habits occurred-in the Kawh'a* -1 tan Valley, where a pair of grey:1 warblers were seen busily engaged in feeding a fully-fledged cuckoo, whoseinsistent demands for food gave the foster-parents no time for jest or song* One of the situations most favoured by the tomtit as the site of its nest is, on a bank, perhaps among-the roots of some tree. A nest so placed- was found in a small area of bush on ths banks of the Kawhatau Eiver, a tributary of the Bangitikei. It was-about six feet from, the river-bed- and was built on the underside of an overhang-, ing bough of the matipo. Not far away, but in the midst of a remnant ofbush, another nest, of the tomtit was found,,but in this case it was placed in, a cavity on a rotten stump, also about six feet from the ground. The samef piece of,bush is inhabited by one or, two pairs of riflemen wrens, New Zeai land's smallest bird. This interesting and; vivacious little bird is fairly- well distributed in the "Wellington district,occurring not only in the mountain areas but also in" bush many miles from the ranges*- Its nest is quite bulky for, the size of the bird,, but the most remarkable feature of its structure is thai' tiny entrance hole. The rifleman: selects a hole in a trunk or a erevieaf of some sort in which to build its nest,: which is constructed somewhat on the principle of the sparrow's nest, an en< closed structure with an entrance on one side. In many cases the entrance hole is elongated ■fo fit the -exigencies of the site, and is so small that it looks more like the home of a spider than that of a bird. It is not even large' enough, for the insertion of a finger. A nest of the rifleman .was found in this bush,built in the end of a broken ofE branch, of an overblown cabbage tree, and-an* other nest was located in a Taranaki reserve, placed in a hole in the trunf" of a large mahoe. '. . . In addition to the Introduced birdfc which have taken up their residence -iM the district, the conditions now beina most suitable" for these aliens, one of, two native species have profited by th# clearing of the bush to make place fo<j| farming pursuits. The common hawlj of New Zealand, the harrier, now ha« vast areas of pastoral country, f ormerljj clothed in dense forest, over which t» roam. The pipit, or ground lark, like* wise, finds the country suitable to its habits greatly extended and occurs throughout. Another very beautiful native bird, the pukeko, has also been attracted to the locality, although it occurs somewhat sparingly, judging "by; the few noted on a tour through th« district. - • '